Gum laced with a plant-grown protein is found to reduce COVID-19 transmission by 95% after trapping and neutralizing the virus in the person’s saliva, Penn State University scientists find
The cinnamon-flavored gum is infused with ACE2, which is a plant-grown protein
The protein traps the virus in the saliva and then neutralizes it
Testing of the gum shows this innovation can reduce transmission by 95%
New type of gum has been found to nearly eliminate transmission of the coronavirus by neutralizing the virus in the person’s saliva.
A team of scientists led by Penn State University infused gum with a plant-grown protein and found it ‘traps’ the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The protein, known as ACE2, prevents the virus from attaching to a host cell in the human body by interacting with SARS-CoV-2’s receptor binding domain – this facilitates virus attachment to the receptor and fusion with cell membrane.
When saliva samples from coronavirus patients were exposed to the ACE2 gum, researchers observed 50 mg of the cinnamon-flavored gum reduced viral entry by 95 percent.
The research team is currently working toward obtaining permission to conduct a clinical trial to evaluate whether the approach is safe and effective when tested in people infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Henry Daniell at Penn State’s School of Dental Medicine, who led the research, said in a statement: ‘SARS-CoV-2 replicates in the salivary glands, and we know that when someone who is infected sneezes, coughs, or speaks some of that virus can be expelled and reach others.
‘This gum offers an opportunity to neutralize the virus in the saliva, giving us a simple way to possibly cut down on a source of disease transmission.’
Coronavirus gains access to bodily cells by attaching itself to a protein called ACE2 and the new chewing gum was developed with a copy of that protein, allowing it to mimic bodily cells.
This tricks the virus into attaching to chewing gum chemicals, instead of the saliva, where it is neutralized and unable to be transmitted to someone else.
To test the gum, the team grew ACE2 in plants, paired with another compound that enables the protein to cross mucosal barriers and facilitates binding and incorporated the resulting plant material into cinnamon-flavored gum tablets.
Incubating samples obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs from COVID-positive patients with the gum, they showed that the ACE2 present could neutralize SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
The scientists observed that the gum largely prevented viral particles from entering cells, which was done by blocking the ACE2 receptor on the cells or binding directly to the spike protein.
And the results showed that levels of the viral RNA in the person’s saliva were almost undetectable.
Though the research is still in the early stages of development, if the clinical trials prove the gum is safe and effective, it could be given to patients whose infection status is unknown or even for dental check-ups when masks must be removed, to reduce the likelihood of passing the virus to caregivers, according to the researchers.
‘We are already using masks and other physical barriers to reduce the chance of transmission,’ said Daniell. ‘This gum could be used as an additional tool in that fight.’
Source: Daily mail
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Gum laced with a plant-grown protein is found to reduce COVID-19 transmission by 95% after trapping and neutralizing the virus in the person’s saliva, Penn State University scientists find